My favorite KOA organic juices are now available at Gelson's Markets in SoCal and LA! Yay!! KOA is cold-pressed and made from 12 fresh fruits and vegetables like pomegranate, red sea lettuce, guava, holy basil, heirloom carrots and lemon...and more. It has good-for-you vitamins (9) and minerals (74) like some other cold-pressed juices, but KOA Olakino is sugar-free with zero calories. And, they taste absolutely delicious! Other cold-pressed juices that include fruits of any sort (including apples, pineapple, pear, etc) can contain anywhere from 45g to 65g of sugar per bottle! Whoa!! That's more sugar than 3 donuts. Scary. And, our bodies have the same insulin response, whether the sugar is from juiced fruits or a candy bar. (To learn more about the effects of sugar on our health, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc...watch the documentary "Fed Up"). Incase you're wondering why KOA calls their "juice" Olakino, it's because the FDA's definition of "juice" is a beverage that contains fructose (sugar). Since KOA Olakino contains no sugar and no calories, KOA is charting new territory into a new category all their own called "Olakino", which means "healthy" in Hawaii. Pick up a bottle and tell me which flavor your prefer: Original (mint) or Raspberry. So hard to choose....

The freshest tropical salad recipe at Phulay Bay in Krabi, Thailand made with romaine lettuce, shredded green mango, toasted coconut, roasted cashews, and sliced red onion. I left out the pomelo, but that would be yummy to include too. Superfood, vegan, gluten free, and organic salad made with all local and seasonal ingredients that are great for detox and boosting overall wellness. Enjoy with a Thai baby coconut....Delicious!

Loving the herb garden here at the Ritz Carlton's Reserve at Phulay Bay in beautiful Thailand at Krabi. They grow their own herbs, in addition to super spicy red Thai chilies. We've been using these super fresh herbs in my Raw Food Lifestyle Classes this week. It's paradise here with tons of tropical fresh fruits like tamarind, papaya, jackfruit, and longan. And delicious Thai baby coconuts and cashews too. I think this must be Heaven!

The beautiful Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay has invited me to develop an exclusive 5-day wellness program for their Thailand resort to launch in March 2015. This exclusive retreat will include vegan raw food cooking classes and recipes featuring local ingredients and flavors with a focus on the Home Chef, along with my eco-green living, healthy lifestyle, fitness, natural beauty, and detox philosophy. I will personally be at Phulay Bay teaching classes from March 18th to 22nd, 2015. These classes are complimentary to resort guests. And, guests completing all 5-days will receive a Certificate of Completion equivalent to my Level 1 Home Chef Raw Food Certification Course. So, please book your stay now at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve website, and join me at Phulay Bay! I look forward to seeing you in paradise.

Makeup can do wonders for a girl's self esteem…but, at what cost to our health? Makeup is often full of toxic colors and chemical preservatives. We Raw Fooders believe skin cancer is caused when toxins we place on our skin (like sunscreen, makeup, moisturizers, etc) react with the sun. Now that's a food for thought! But, wearing makeup can be fun. We just need to make sure to choose natural mineral colors while avoiding common poisons like BHA, BHT, dibutyl phthalate, diazolidinyl urea, and parabens. I have to wear makeup for photo shoots, like this one for a local magazine here in LA. And, I always bring jojoba oil and use it to cleanse my face immediately afterwards. Coconut oil works great as a makeup remover and skin/hair moisturizer too. I try to avoid putting things on my skin that I won't eat. It absorbs through just the same!

Big Bear Lake is a popular Southern California winter destination for playing in the snow. I didn't realize how many people go in the summertime to splash around on the lake and hike in the forest. We rode up the chair lift to the mountain top, found a ton of trails, and hiked for hours in the woods at 8,600 feet elevation! The air was super fresh, the pines smelled delicious, and the views were spectacular. Hiking in nature is the perfect way to recharge and to detox from urban life. It helps me relax and reconnect with what is really important to me….my health and happiness! I noticed a ton of people brought their mountain bicycles to ride along the many trails, and down the mountainside on the ski runs. That looked super fun, and I will be bringing my mountain bike next visit. Have you visited a winter ski resort in the summertime? I actually preferred it better in summer, since I am completely over snow now. Having grown up in freezing Buffalo, NY, if I never see snow again, I don't think I would miss it.

Wheatgrass is liquid sunshine! A raw, vegan, mega-superfood! Just 2 ounces contains the same amount of nutrition as 5 pounds of organic vegetables. And, about 20% of its calories come from complete branch chain amino acids and protein. It's a powerful detoxifier for the liver and blood, neutralizes toxins and pollutants in our body, and lessens the effects of radiation. Wheatgrass cleanses the body of heavy metals too. I love GREEN! The color comes from chlorophyll, a very important phytonutrient our cells need to heal and fight disease. Chlorophyll also helps carry tons of oxygen to our blood. Lots of oxygen is always a good thing! Best taken on its own, fresh, and on an empty stomach so that its nutrients can be best absorbed. Most fun shared and enjoyed with friends and loved ones! xoxo

I do love the sun! Just 20 mins a day is enough to give us our recommended daily levels for Vitamin D. But, when I'm in the sun, I do make sure to cover up my face with a huge hat and sun glasses (to avoid those dark spots us Asians get…they are our 'wrinkles')….vanity! LOL. Beware of chemicals in most sunblock lotions. Instead, we can EAT our sunblock. Here are some raw, vegan, gluten-free super foods that are high in antioxidants to help destroy free radical damage from the sun: Spinach, kale, broccoli, carrots (lutein) - Dr Salvador Gonsalez of Harvard University says “our data is the first of its kind to suggest that lutein may have the potential to act as a preventative agent against UVB-induced skin cancer. In addition, these data suggest that lutein protects the skin against damage caused by exposure to UVB light, further validating our position that lutein is a critical component to overall skin health.” A study in the International Journal of Cancer found that a serving a day of leafy greens reduces the recurrence of skin cancer tumors in patients by more than 50%! Green tea, black tea, cacao (polyphenols) Brazil nuts (selenium) Tomatoes (lycopene) Chia, flax, walnuts, algaes like chlorella and spiraling (omega 3s) So eat up, and get outside! Summers here, and there are many fun trails to hike…like this one in Joshua Tree National Park…my favorite place on Earth!